The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1887-07-23
thoughts into the original channel by

ing less than a godly institution"
His earnestness convinced me that,
for purely philanthropic motives, he
had in measure effected its repaih 80
l asked quite innocently: What is
your system, Mr.. Brandt"
my dear madame" he remonstrat-
ed, 81 was not aware that | had laid
claim to having propounded one.''
''But you have" / maintained, 81
am sure Of it"
"Weli, will admit the charge, since
your perspicuity divines it" he ans
wered reluctantly.
MAY be permitted to inquire where
in it differs from the regular oneP"
81 should be happy to afford you all
the information you require upon the
subject, but" and here he hesitated,
''The truth is, l don't consider my sys-
tenn by any means perfect, from the
fact that up to the present time it has
remained wholly theoretical"
For the lack of the proper person to
demonstrate it?'' | hazarded.
Exactly
And then, having somehow or other
conceived an idea of the loftiness of
my comprehensive faculties, Mr.. Brand
did me the honor to make me acquaint-
ed with his pet theory. The difficulty
lay in nutshell. No woman ever
loved who possessed the combined at
tributes of the idealistic one that he
LaI nn,,s,,r.1 nttf nf tho chaotic
debris of his rejuvenated plan. For ex-
ample, she must be physically and
mentally adapted to him; she must
have beauty, but no vanity; charm, but
no coquetry, and talent without osten-
tation. She must be savant in learn
ing and butterfly in temperament.
Her method of household government
must have absolutely no parallel in
systematic regulation and order. And
upon this last point he laid great
stress, for love of neatness was as in
nate with him as love of opinion. As
he didn't believe that frivolty could
bring contentment, his creed prohib-
tied youth.
/ listened with becoming gravity,
and marveled at his sophistry. How
any sane man could be so illogical
staggered me. And yet this one was
sane! At least he wasn't insane, which
amounts to the same thing, dare say.
Imagine my elation, when, few
| days later, there arrived upon the
scene Miss Nellie Penhryn, in whom
| a INSTANTLY ,,,nntf a fa1 thn
greatest concern. Miss Pcnhryn was
nineteen, small, dark and very win
some. She was not pretty, but owing
to her style and vivacity, exceedingly
attractive; an ingenious creature,
petted and spoiled beyond expression
by doting grandmother, and the last
woman upon the face of the earth one
would think he could fancy. But the
genus homo is never quite rational in
its heart affairs. (This observation
savors of sour grapes, coming, as il
does, from spinster like me, but nc
matterD Having been duly presented
to Mr.. Brand, the first thing she said
to him was:
"Are you the Mr.. 8rand?a
81 am Mr.. Brand" he retorted
and then stopped short and stared a
her.
You're nothing of the kind; you arr
the Mr.. Brand. My grandmamma tolC
me so.
"What further information did you
respected relative offer regarding me
may inquired"
''She said you'd bite mp head off, i
didn't mind what was about.
"And what response did you maxi
to this murderous expressions"
II told her | had never yet seen
man to be afraid of; neither have II
And here Miss Penhryn laughed. 3D.
you mind" she went on, when ne
mirth had subsidized, taking me GU
| for an ice? am mclting!"
"Oh, you eat ices, do you?"
7 Certainly, when I'm warm. Don
} your
, "Never!"
t NO." thoughtfully, II shouldn't SUP
1 pose you would;" then, "but do wan
: that ice," flashing an appealing glanc
: at him from beneath her long lashes
Whereupon he instantly arose an
Y offered her his arm.
i, Il wish you would try one," she rec
+ commended, after tasting her own.
: 81 never eat frozen compounds.
+ at might benefit you, though. {
course you are acquainted with til
e homeopathic doctrine. I"
o Il am not aware that l am
j 'They say that like cures like, yo
= know"
o After this malicious thrust she r.
d lapsed into silence.
/. .See you consider me an iceberg,
|; observed Mr.. Brand, secretly amused
: "and you are good enough to sugge
d the easiest method of thawing me out.
n "Really, had no intention of bein
o so rude or so personal, she proteste'
h with suspicious twitch at the corn'
>. of her mouth. 81 never meant" b.
;, here she caught his eye, and the desil
d to smile proved SO irresistible that 81
it could control herself no longer. 81
# burst into a merry. girlish laug
d which must have been infectious, fl
" Mr.. Brand joined in and laughed Wi
n her.
D; From this time. on they were fir
ID friends, and Sea Cliff soon began
t. whisper that it would result in a mate
lie For once, Sea Cliff was right. A fe
at weeks later he asked her to marry hir
a And it all came about in the usual wa
ic he simply fell in love with her, as pc
to pie are falling in love every day
es their lives. 1t came upon Mr.. Bral
in rather suddenly, though, and shock,
e. and startled him not a little. For
s. could not reconcile the innovation
III his heart to his creed, that famo
m creed which he and had discussed
Sc freely before Miss Penhryn's adver
re She neither represented his ideal, n
I'd reached the standard of his own CT
h, ated laws, and he was aware that
a knew it. To accept her, was to oy
p his newly remodeled marriage syste
a. failure. Reason it out as he woul
in she must have fallen short of the pal
it gon with whose virtues he had ma
to me acquainted. She was not partic
~ | 1orlv ada pta6 to him in any xvav fh a